English Version

Version Française

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE YAOUNDE TRIPARTITE MEETING

Before the end of October 1991, several opposition parties, associations and individuals were clamouring for a national conference in order to use such conference to usher in genuine democracy into Cameroon and to resolve the political impasse in the country. The CPDM government all along resisted these moves even to the extent of using force to prevent the introduction of genuine democracy in Cameroon. This use of force by the CPDM government has led to the loss of several lives.

After ignoring the conclusion of his Prime Minister, President Paul BIYA himself toured the ten Provinces and concluded that the demand for a national conference was genuine.

Rather than give in to a national conference as proposed by the people, President BIYA decided to address the nation on the 11th October 1991 and he unilaterally fixed the agenda and timetable for a meeting to discuss only the law on the access to the media and the Electoral Code.

Although President BIYA's unilateral decision fell short of the Sovereign National Conference demanded by the Co-ordination of opposition parties, the SDF and the other members of the Co-ordination of opposition parties in the interest of peace and dialogue decided to participate in the meeting if certain minimum conditions were met by the government. Because of the tension in the country, loss of confidence and mistrust, it was intended that these minimum conditions if met were to create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue.

The CPDM government ignored these modest demands and yet the SDF with some opposition parties of the co-ordination again in the interest of peace and dialogue decided to participate all the same at the talks described by the CPDM government as the tripartite talks. From the 30th October 1991 when the talks began until the 6th of November 1991, when the SDF observed that:

1. There was no known objective criteria for the attribution of delegates to the political parties.

2. The so-called civil personalities were mostly CPDM supporters including members of its central committee, civil servants, ex-ministers, current ministers and CPDM Directors of para-statals, past and current.

3. The temporary bureau for this meeting consisted of only members of the CPDM government; i.e. the Prime Minister and two Government Ministers.

4. There was controversy on the application of the principle of consensus to the decisions of the meeting.

5. It was noticed that in the course of the meeting the number of delegates continued to increase indefinitely.

6. After the CPDM government had focused the attention of the nation to this important meeting, the private press was not allowed to attend and to report first hand and life television coverage of this event was denied to the anxious public.

7. The Protem Chairman was very discriminatory in favour of the CPDM participants in allowing speakers to address the meeting.

8. The Protem Chairman manipulated the proceedings by not giving any chance for any ruling to be made on specific issues when they arose.

9. Even though the overwhelming opinion was that the constitutional review was a very important point to be included in the agenda, the Prime Minister deliberately frustrated any attempts to have full discussion on it.

10. In spite of the fact that there was strong opinion that an independent chairperson of the meeting be appointed the prime Minister ruled that the consensus was in favour of his chairing the meeting.

From the above, it was clear that everything had been pre-planned and the whole proceedings were masquerade. The participants were only called to endorse a decision already taken in advance.

In this meeting which was focused on the discussion of impending legislation, the SDF was shocked to find the total absence of members of parliament who are the elected law makers. The emphasis was placed on the civil servants, past and present, whose domineering presence was noticeable. Their participation was meant to orientate the meeting towards preserving the status quo in total disregard of the demands of the population for opening up our society and installing genuine democracy into Cameroon.

The law on access to the media and the Electoral law are laws meant to govern future elections. Instead of allowing political parties and legislators whom such laws are meant to govern to fully participate in discussing them, the political parties are marginalised in the talks in favour of civil servants starting with the Prime Minister whose positions are not elective. This deliberate orientation of the meeting has led to the obstinate opposition to representative government by a civil service junta which continues to dominate the deliberations.

The above explains why up to now no one among the civil service junta has cared to question why the mandate of the present National Assembly is being shortened-after all, it is not their careers at stake. This also explains why they vehemently opposed the extension of the franchise to include the eighteen year olds using flimsy arguments even though the CPDM which they pretend to represent is the only political party with an active youth wing.

In the light of the above, the SDF takes the position that the present talks are a farce in the absence of concrete proposals in response to popular demand for constitutional reforms and the satisfaction of the pre-conditions set out by the co-ordination of opposition parties in their resolutions of November 5th 1991, made at Yaounde. The SDF believes that the curtailment of the life of the present parliament is unwarranted and unjustified and sufficient time ought to be given for necessary reforms and education of the voters to take place.

The rush by the CPDM government to curtail the life of parliament and rush through elections by February 1992 is a calculated attempt to confuse issues and force the population to endorse their unpopular policies. The SDF calls on the population and all well meaning Cameroonians who have the interest of this country at heart to denounce and resist all attempts being made by the civil service junta in Yaounde now which ruined and is still ruining our country to manipulate them.

The SDF is determined to have the Yaounde resolution of the 5th November 1991, fully respected if the SDF is to return to the tripartite meeting.

DONE AT BAMENDA, NOVEMBER 11, 1991

NI John FRU NDI
CHAIRMAN

The end

More documents